Ezekiel 36:8-10
“But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just about the land becoming fertile; it's about the mountains themselves being commissioned to produce and offer their fruit, because the people they belong to are about to return. God is speaking to the very landscape, assuring it that its purpose—to sustain His people—is about to be restored.
God is speaking directly to the mountains of Israel, personifying them as if they can hear. This follows His declarations that He will take back the land from the nations and cleanse it. Now, He promises that the very land will become fertile and fruitful again, specifically to provide for His people, because their return from exile is imminent.
Imagine a land left desolate for years, its soil neglected. Then, a promise is made: the people are coming home. What happens to the land itself?
In Ezekiel 36:8, God speaks directly to the "mountains of Israel." This isn't just about geology; it's a powerful way to personify the land. God declares that these mountains, which have likely been unfruitful and neglected during the exile, will "shoot forth branches and yield fruit." This imagery signifies a radical transformation. The land will become vibrant and productive again, specifically to provide for God's people upon their return. This isn't just a passive event; it's God activating the land in anticipation of His people's homecoming.
The exile felt endless, but God's promise felt immediate. How could both be true, and what does that tell us about His timing?
The phrase "for they will soon come home" is crucial. While the actual return from Babylon was still decades away for many when Ezekiel prophesied, God emphasizes its certainty and nearness in His plan. The commentaries highlight that for God, "soon" or "at hand" transcends human timelines. This promise served as an anchor, assuring the exiles that their return wasn't a distant dream but an inevitable reality. It's a foretaste of God's ultimate redemption, where His promises, though sometimes appearing distant to us, are always "at hand" in His divine timetable.
Understand the original words
Yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
The theological community of believers descended from Jacob, chosen by God to be His own possession, recipients of His covenant promises, and agents of His witness in the world.
peri · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the restoration of life, vitality, and prosperity. It symbolizes the reversal of divine judgment and the return of God’s blessing upon a desolate place or people.
Ezekiel's prophecy of the land's renewal and the people's imminent return was given during the Babylonian exile, about 40-50 years before it actually happened. The 'at hand' phrasing reflects God's unwavering certainty, even though human timelines suggested otherwise.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Jehoiachin and many of the skilled workers and nobles of Judah are deported to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The prophet Ezekiel is among this first group.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and deports most of the remaining population to Babylon. This event is the height of Judah's devastation and exile.
c. 580-570 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophetic Ministry
Ezekiel delivers prophecies of judgment and restoration to the exiles in Babylon, including the passage in Ezekiel 36 which promises the renewal of the land and the return of God's people.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire under Cyrus conquers the Babylonian Empire, paving the way for the return of the Jewish exiles.
This passage echoes the promise of restoration for Israel, declaring 'He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock,' mirroring Ezekiel's message of the land's renewed fruitfulness for the returning people.
Isaiah 35:1-2Isaiah paints a picture of the desolate land rejoicing and blooming when God returns to save His people, aligning with Ezekiel's vision of the mountains of Israel yielding fruit for their homecoming.
Zechariah 8:12This verse directly references the land's future prosperity and peace upon the people's return, stating, 'for there will be a peaceful harvest... and the vines will yield their fruit,' which resonates with Ezekiel's prophecy of the land providing sustenance.
Psalm 107:37The psalm speaks of God establishing fruitful lands that were once barren and desolate for those who feared Him, providing a thematic parallel to Ezekiel's promise of renewed fertility for the land of Israel.
clarkeEzekiel 36:8: "But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come."
For they are at hand to come - The restoration of the Jews is so absolutely determined that you may rest assured it will take place; and be as confident relative to it, as if you saw the different families entering into the Israelitish borders. It was near at hand in God's determination, though there were about fifty-eight of the seventy y…
barnesEzekiel 36:8: "But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come."
They are at hand to come - i. e., under Zerubbabel.
This verse isn't just about the land becoming fertile; it's about the mountains themselves being commissioned to produce and offer their fruit, because the people they belong to are about to return. God is speaking to the very landscape, assuring it that its purpose—to sustain His people—is about to be restored.
God is speaking directly to the mountains of Israel, personifying them as if they can hear. This follows His declarations that He will take back the land from the nations and cleanse it. Now, He promises that the very land will become fertile and fruitful again, specifically to provide for His people, because their return from exile is imminent.
God is speaking directly to the mountains of Israel, personifying them as if they can hear. This follows His declarations that He will take back the land from the nations and cleanse it. Now, He promises that the very land will become fertile and fruitful again, specifically to provide for His people, because their return from exile is imminent.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Ezekiel 36:8-10 is available in the Sola app.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Issued
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of the return from exile.
537 BC
First Return of Exiles
Led by Zerubbabel, a significant number of Jewish exiles return to Judah to begin rebuilding the Temple and resettling the land.
"“But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multipl…" — This verse isn't just about the land becoming fertile; it's about the mountains themselves being commissioned to produce and offer their fruit, because the people they belong to are about to return…
